2025-2026

Directors and Leadership Team

Tatiana Heintz

Co-Director - Columbia ‘26

Tatiana began her dance training at Stowe Dance Academy in Stowe, Vermont During the course of her fifteen years at Stowe Dance Academy, she primarily trained in ballet and contemporary at the pre-professional level. Over the summers, Tatiana had the opportunity to train at Boston Ballet, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and American Ballet Theatre. Tatiana Heintz is now a senior in Columbia College studying Dance and Economics and has danced with Columbia Repertory Ballet and Columbia Ballet Collaborative.

Carolina Rivera

Co-Director - Columbia ‘26

Carolina trained pre-professionally at Greenwich Ballet Academy (GBA) from where she graduated in June 2022. Carolina has performed many leading roles in GBA productions including the Don Quixote Act 3 Pas de deux, the Grand Pas de deux from Le Corsaire, and both the Snow and Sugar Plum Grand Pas in The Nutcracker, with guest partners from American Ballet Theatre and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Carolina competed as a soloist for six years in many prestigious dance competitions receiving multiple top placements and awards, including: a Silver Medal at The Connecticut Classic and Top 12 placements at Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and Universal Ballet Competition in both classical and contemporary divisions. In 2021, Carolina placed 1st and 2nd in the Duo category at UBC and YAGP respectively; and in 2022 following top placements, she received an invitation and participated in the YAGP Tampa Finals as part of a duo and a small ensemble. At competitions, Carolina has been awarded scholarships to New York Dance Project and International Ballet Intensive. Carolina attended the Boston Ballet Summer Intensive, Houston Ballet Academy’s Summer Intensive program and Ellison Ballet Summer Intensive program in New York City. Carolina is currently a senior in Columbia College and is excited to be continuing her journey on CRB’s Board of Directors.

Alice Liu

Director of Finance - Columbia ‘26

Alice grew up in Princeton, New Jersey where she trained in classical ballet at Princeton Ballet School starting at age 6. In 2018, she began attending St. Paul’s School (NH) where she was a member of the St. Paul’s School Ballet Company (SPSBC). There she trained under the direction of Kate Lydon. In addition to furthering her classical studies, she began choreographing for the SPSBC, premiering four works before her graduation in 2022. Alice attended summer intensives at American Ballet Theatre, the Royal Ballet School, Boston Ballet, and Princeton Ballet School. Alice is now a senior at Columbia University double-majoring in Computer Science and Economics. She is grateful for the opportunity to further her studies both academically and artistically.

 

Maria Pia Molina

Assistant Director - Columbia ‘26

Maria Pia grew up in Medellin, Colombia, where she trained ballet pre-professionally at Andrea Wolff Ballet (AWB) under the direction of Andrea Wolff. Throughout the years, she has performed many leading roles in AWB productions, including Kitri in Don Quixote, 3rd Shade in La Bayadere, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, among others. Pia has also trained pre-professionally with Cuban principal dancers Taras Domitro and Adiarys Almeida privately and at their studio, Hollywood Ballet Academy. She has competed at several ballet competitions, including World Ballet Competition, Miami International Ballet Competition, and ADC IBC, getting top placements on several occasions. Over the years, she has received multiple offers to train and attend summer intensives at Miami City Ballet, Master Ballet Academy, Ballet Austin, Cary Ballet Conservatory, New York Dance Project, Joffrey Ballet, Princeton Ballet, and Orlando Ballet. Currently, Pia is a senior at Columbia College, double majoring in Psychology and Dance. 


Michael Shavelle

Assistant Director - Columbia ‘27

Michael is a junior in Columbia College studying English. Originally from Los Angeles, CA, he trained pre-professionally in the Dance Academy at the Colburn School under the direction of Silas Farley. There, he performed principal roles in George Balanchine's Mozartiana and Divertimento No. 15, Jerome Robbins' Goldberg Variations, and Merce Cunningham's Changing Steps, as well as originating new works by Silas Farley. He has attended intensives on scholarship at the School of American Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and continues to train on scholarship at the Dance Theatre of Harlem School.

 

Emily Choi

Leadership Team - Columbia ‘28

Emily began dancing at Universal Ballet Academy in Seoul and continued training at the Petrov Ballet School in 2015 under the guidance of Eugene Petrov, Kara Bruzina, and Margo Sappington. There, Emily’s repertoire includes La Bayadere, Gypsy Suite, The Nutcracker, Tarantella, Russian Dervish, as well as contemporary works. She competed at Youth America Grand Prix in 2021, 2022, and 2023 and placed in the senior classical division. In the summer of 2023, she participated in American Ballet Theater’s Collegiate Program where she performed Coppelia under Sarah Smith. Emily is now a sophomore at Columbia College studying Biology and Dance on the pre-med track.  

Andrew Fleischner

Leadership Team - Columbia ‘28

Born in Los Angeles, CA, and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Andrew attended Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School. He furthered his dance training as a member of the St. Paul’s School (NH) Ballet Company under the leadership of Kate Lydon. In 2022, he competed in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and received a full scholarship at the Tampa Finals to study at the Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, led by Peter Stark. In March 2023, Andrew joined Los Angeles Ballet under Melissa Barak for their spring production of Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias. He went on to dance the full following 2023-24 season with Los Angeles Ballet, before starting at Columbia in fall 2024. His repertoire includes the US premiere of Hans van Manen’s Frank Bridge Variations, Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird, Thoral Christensen and Colleen Neary’s The Nutcracker, and more. Andrew is excited to pursue his academic studies at Columbia while being surrounded by the incredible dance experiences New York City has to offer.

Keira Gutierrez

Leadership Team - Columbia ‘28

Keira began her dance training in Washington D.C. at the Kirov Academy of Ballet and the Washington School of Ballet (TWSB), eventually joining TWSB’s pre-professional program. She was later invited to train at Miami City Ballet School where she remained throughout the COVID pandemic before returning to TWSB. Keira completed her final years of high school training privately with Lilla Seber and Emily Hashiguchi. She has attended intensive programs at the Royal Ballet School, English National Ballet School, John Cranko Schule, Ellison Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and School of American Ballet. Keira is currently a sophomore at Columbia College studying Italian and Math-Statistics and is thrilled to be joining CRB’s Board.

Lucy Mason

Leadership Team - Columbia ‘27

Lucy grew up in New York City, training pre-professionally at the School of American Ballet (SAB). While there, she performed children’s roles in New York City Ballet’s productions of Circus Polka and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. In 2019, she enrolled in St. Paul’s School (NH), where she was a member of the St. Paul’s School Ballet Company until graduating. During her summers, Lucy attended intensives at Belvoir Terrace, Manhattan Youth Ballet, Ballet Academy East, and Kaatsbaan. She is currently a Junior in Columbia College, double majoring in English and American Studies.

Danielle Zuccaro

Leadership Team - Columbia ‘27

Danielle is a Columbia College ‘27 student studying concentrations in biology and economics in the premed track. She grew up in New Hartford, New York, and trained at Ondrea’s Centerstage Dance Studio in contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip hop, and tap. She began competing at age six and continued throughout senior year of high school. She was an assistant for REVEL Dance Convention, and taught various classes for her home studio. She had the opportunity to participate in the Joffrey Jazz and Contemporary Summer Program for two years and the Trisha Brown Summer Intensive. At Columbia, she is a member of Columbia Ballet Collaborative and RAW Elementz in addition to Columbia Repertory Ballet. 

 
 

 Advisory Board

Maria Sol Blankemeyer

Advisor, Former Co-Director ‘21-‘22 - Barnard ‘23

Maria Blankemeyer was born in Monterrey, Mexico, where she began her ballet training at the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey. Upon immigrating to the United States in 2011, she continued her training at Ballet Austin and attended summer intensives at Ellison Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Oregon Ballet Theatre. Maria is currently a junior at Barnard studying chemistry.

 

Maki Ishibashi

Advisor, Former Co-Director ‘21-‘22 - Columbia ‘23

Maki Ishibashi was born in Tokyo, Japan where she began ballet recreationally at the age of three. Upon moving to the United States in 2007, she joined the CityDance School and Conservatory in Rockville, Maryland where she continued her ballet and contemporary training. She has spent her summers at both ballet and contemporary intensives, such as Boston Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the Juilliard School of Dance. She is currently a junior at Columbia College majoring in biology and on the pre-med track. She has performed with two student run companies - Columbia Repertory Ballet and Columbia Ballet Collaborative.

  • Annie Lewandowski

    FORMER CO-DIRECTOR (‘22)

    Annie Lewandowski is a senior at Columbia College studying Russian and following the Pre-Med track. She has been dancing ballet for most of her life, training at the Ohio Conservatory of Ballet and dancing with the Stabrova Youth Ballet. She has participated in the Bolshoi Ballet’s summer programs in both New York and Russia, and has danced with Columbia Ballet Collaborative and the Columbia Repertory Ballet during her first two years at Columbia.

  • Sandy Zeng

    FORMER CO-DIRECTOR (‘21)

  • Paige Hinkley

    FORMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (‘21)